1. Field
The present application relates to methods of isolating nanoparticles from a composition.
2. Description of the Related Art
Numerous consumer products include nanoparticles that can be discharged into waste water streams. Increasing evidence suggests that several classes of nanoparticles may accumulate in sludge derived from wastewater treatment and ultimately in soil following land application as biosolids. These nanoparticles may accumulate in the food chain and pose a health risk. Thus, there is a rising need to remove these nanoparticles from waste water streams.
Typical methods for isolating nanoparticles include filtering solution to remove the nanoparticles. But these methods require filters with very small pore sizes to remove nanometer-sized particles. Because the small pore size requires high pressures and/or low flow rates, this process can be inefficient.
An alternative process for removing nanoparticles is aggregating the nanoparticles to increase the particle size. While this method can be effective for high nanoparticle concentrations, it may not work effectively at low concentrations because the amount of nanoparticles is insufficient to obtain significant aggregation.